Fresh off of a 7-25 campaign, Sacramento State men’s basketball looks to remedy their losing ways by retooling their roster through the transfer portal.
The Hornets have already seen drastic changes in the young offseason, with the loss of senior guard EJ Neal and senior All-Conference forward Jacob Holt, along with the majority of last season’s roster going into the portal.
RELATED: BREAKING: Mike Bibby introduced as head coach of Sac State men’s basketball
Sac State’s roster has already felt the effects of the new coaching regime, with the majority of their roster having entered the portal within a week of former Kings player Mike Bibby being announced as head coach.
The stage is set for a complete overhaul of the current roster to begin the Bibby era with a clean slate. This article will be updated periodically with the announcement of new transfers.
In the Portal:
Guard, Lachlan Brewer
Freshman guard Lachlan Brewer gained plenty of experience in his first season of college basketball, starting 28 out of Sac State’s 32 games as a true freshman and led the team in 3-point field goal percentage at 45%.
The new guard’s best outing came in the form of a career-high 17-point performance against Weber State, in which he knocked down five 3-pointers. Brewer announced his entrance into the transfer portal via X on March 28.
Guard, Bailey Nunn
The Hornets got bit by the injury bug early this season, and the absence of two starting guards gave sophomore guard Bailey Nunn an opportunity to lead the offense.
The Australian native started 20 games as the primary ball-handler for the Hornets this season, leading the team in assists at nearly four per game.
Nunn scored 6.5 points per game, with an overall field goal percentage of 27% on 7 shots attempted per game. Nunn’s entrance into the transfer portal was announced by Verbal Commits via X on March 26.
Guard, Leo Ricketts
After missing the first half of the season as a redshirt, freshman guard Leo Ricketts played the Hornets’ final 16 games as a true freshman.
Ricketts’ added playing time was another byproduct of injuries to Sac State’s roster, as he started 4 straight games in February and scored a career-high 13 points twice against Weber State and Montana.
His entrance into the transfer portal was announced by Verbal Commits via X on April 4.
Guard, Emil Skytta
In his sophomore season out of Helsinki, Finland, guard Emil Skytta started 23 games and was a key starter for Sac State’s ’24-’25 campaign. Standing at 6’4”, Skytta proved to be a viable defensive option for the Hornets, often guarding opposing teams’ best offensive players.
Skytta’s offensive role was as an off-ball shooter and cutter capable of rising for a poster dunk on any given possession. He averaged eight points per game on 48% from the field for the season and scored a season-high 14 points against Weber State.
Skytta announced his entrance in the transfer portal via X on March 25.
Guard, Julian Vaughns
Junior guard Julian Vaughns began his ’24-’25 season scoring a combined 66 points in his first five games, second behind Holt, who scored 72 points in that span.
Vaughns served as a solid second scoring option behind Holt, offering an ability to create his own shot at all three levels of the floor, but sporadic injuries throughout the season limited him to 24 games.
Despite missing eight of the Hornets’ 32 games, Vaughns still managed to rank eleventh in the Big Sky Conference total 3-pointers made at 40 made.
Vaughns announced his entrance into the transfer portal via X on March 28.
Guard, Michael Wilson
A Sacramento native, sophomore guard Michael Wilson’s role on the team increased as the season progressed.
After only playing 17 games in his freshman season, Wilson logged 27 games this season, averaging four points per game on a 39% field goal percentage.
The second-year swingman provided sufficient defense and floor spacing for the Hornets, as he ranked third on the team in 3-point field goal percentage at 34%.
Wilson’s entrance into the transfer portal was announced by Verbal Commits via X on April 1.
Forward, Bowyn Beatty
Standing at a towering 7 ‘0”, sophomore forward Bowyn Beatty’s campaign was cut short due to injury, only appearing in the first 16 games of the season.
The Australian product put up a career-high 11 points, along with a season-high nine rebounds, versus Bethesda.
Beatty’s entrance into the portal was announced by Verbal Commits via X on April 3.
Forward, Kiir Kiir Chol Deng
After a season where he played 19 games as a true freshman in the ‘22-’23 season, injuries limited junior forward Kiir Kiir Chol Deng to just two appearances in his sophomore and junior seasons.
A native of South Sudan, Chol Deng has played for NBA Academy Africa from November of 2018 to January of 2022, before playing at the NBA Global Academy in Australia in the ensuing summer.
Chol Deng’s entrance into the transfer portal was announced by Verbal Commits via X on March 24.
Forward, Chudi Dioramma
Freshman forward Chudi Dioramma was the most consistent option off the bench for Sac State last season, averaging 5.7 points per game on 62% from the field, by far the most efficient on the team.
The 6’10” product from the United Kingdom is a rebound magnet who was a threat to score off an offensive rebound.
Dioramma announced his entrance into the transfer portal via X on April 6.
Sac State Additions:
Forward, Shaqir O’Neal
Redshirt junior forward Shaqir O’Neal was the first commit under Bibby and is the son of Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal.
O’Neal played a total of 26 games for Florida A&M, starting 14 of them and averaging 6.7 points per game on an efficient 51% from the field and 41% from beyond the arc.
O’Neal signed with Sac State on April 4.
Guard, Taj Glover
Freshman guard Mataj Glover redshirted his first season at South Florida but averaged 18 points and nearly two steals per game in his senior season at Hebron Christian Academy.
Glover announced his signing with Sac State via X on April 6.
Forward, Jeremiah Cherry
Nicknamed “Bear,” junior forward Jeremiah Cherry hails from San Diego and is coming off his first season of Division I basketball with UNLV.
Cherry stands at 6’11” and averaged 9.5 points and five rebounds per game, and will give the Hornets a viable option in the paint. Last season, he posted career highs of 24 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks.
Cherry announced his commitment to Sac State via Instagram on April 4.
Sac State Losses:
Forward, Jalen Pitre
In his lone season at Sac State, junior forward Jalen Pitre only appeared in the team’s first five games, missing the remainder of the season due to injury.
The transfer out of Pepperdine started four of those games, averaging 2.6 about three points, along with three rebounds per game.
Pitre’s commitment to Tennessee State was confirmed by a source via X on April 13.
